


Shattered By Your Smile

by Eternal Scribe (Shadowcat)



Category: Arthurian Mythology, King Arthur (2004)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-21
Updated: 2009-12-21
Packaged: 2017-10-04 22:14:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 816
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/34659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowcat/pseuds/Eternal%20Scribe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Starters: "Bitter did not begin to describe..."</p>
            </blockquote>





	Shattered By Your Smile

Bitter did not begin to describe the way she was feeling as she looked into his face.

They had grown up together, fought together and loved together.

And now, they would kill one another.

Guinevere's hand trembled only slightly as she brought up the sword for battle. It was Lancelot's sword. Lancelot, whom this man had murdered.

The man smiled at her with hatred glittering in his eyes. "Even in death he has a claim on you," he spat. "Even in death you refuse to let him go. Why is that, Guinevere?"

"Because of something you would never have understood, Gerard," she said softly. "I loved him deeply and he loved me."

"And if I killed your king, would you wield his sword in battle as well?"

Guinevere looked over to where Arthur stood with Tristan and Galahad. She met his eyes and smiled softly before looking back at her nemesis.

"Yes," she said. "Yes, I would wield Excalibur in battle if my king, my love, were to fall."

Gerard looked at her. "You would die now...for these savages? You would die protecting people who had no business being on our isle?"

Guinevere shook her head. "I fight for the man I love and for my friends. I fight for the promise of a better time in Briton." She looked around at everyone who had appeared in the circle to see this battle. "I fight for what is right. Killing Arthur and the Sarmatians is not right. If I die, I know I die for a good reason."

Gerard swung his sword, but Guinevere blocked it effortlessly. She had expected treachery. She had expected him to attack before the signal was given. She heard grumblings from those around her and she knew that this was not going to be an emotionless conflict. Either herself or Gerard would die this day.

She moved backwards to give herself some room to manuever as Gerard came at her again, his blade grazing along her arm. He was determined to hurt Arthur. He would kill Arthur if he had to.

Guinevere blocked his sword as it again tried to cut a place for itself in her chest. She tried to focus on what she was doing, she had to win this fight. If he won, he would kill Arthur. She had to win.

Gerard slashed at her and Guinevere's arm blocked the blade. She hissed as the blade sliced into her and she danced back. Blood dripped into the dust at her feet and she looked into Gerard's mad eyes again. He was grinning in triumph.

"First blood does not mean last blood," she reminded him as she used Lancelot's sword to open a wide gash along the front of his thigh before moving back.

The fight started to get vicious and both combatants had a multitude of cuts and bruises, but still they fought. Guinevere swung the sword and Gerard fell to the ground. She moved over him to offer him a chance to not die when she heard a familiar voice cry out her name and she whipped her head around.

"Lancelot?!"

That lapse of attention cost Guinevere more than she could measure. Gerard, taking advantage of her confusion over seeing Lancelot alive, plunged his sword into her chest.

She heard a scream and several cries as she went down. As her legs collapsed, her sword... Lancelot's sword sliced across Gerard. She would take him with her.

She heard voices near her and then hands were pulling her out of the dirt and moving her away from Gerard. She heard Arthur's command of "Kill them," and then she was being cradled against a chest, familiar arms holding her close.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered.

Lancelot smoothed her sweat-soaked hair back from her face and forehead. "No, my love, no." He held her to him, cursing inwardly as her blood soaked into his clothes and he felt it on his skin. "Arthur!"

She heard running feet and then he was with them. "Guinevere..."

Guinevere shook her head. "I did what I had to do. He had killed..." She swallowed as she lost focus for a moment. "It hurts," she said softly.

Arthur did his best to staunch the blood from her wound but as he looked at Lancelot they both knew it was hopeless.

"It'll stop hurting soon," Arthur assured her.

She nodded, resting her head against Lancelot's shoulder. "Your sword...I lost your sword..."

"No, sweetheart, you didn't..."

"That's good. Arthur?"

Arthur took her hand. "Yes?"

"I love you. I love you both."

Lancelot and Arthur nodded. "We love you, too."

Guinevere smiled and closed her eyes...and she was gone.

For a very long time the two men stood there with Lancelot holding the body of the woman whom they had loved. She had been true to her word and had died for them.


End file.
